Interview with Darcia Helle
I met Darcia Helle online a few years ago when she invited me to join her as a resident author on the Bestsellerbound writers' forum. It was a website she was launching with our fellow author Stacy Juba. We ran the site for a few years and we made lots of good writer friends on there, many of whom we still stay in touch with via social media. The website has now closed down, but I think it served a great purpose in helping us to find a network of like-minded independent authors. Those of you who follow my blog will know that we published a few short story anthologies as a group, and those are still available on Amazon, as free downloads: https://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_no...
Darcia has also contributed stories to all of the Mind's Eye series of books: http://quietfurybooks.com/mindseyeser...
She is a talented and prolific writer who is able to create true to life characters. Her stories are always unputdownable; full of humour, suspense, and insightful observations about life and human nature. Darcia's written many novels and short stories. I'm a big fan of her writing.
We've become good friends as we have a lot in common; as well as both being writers and avid readers, we're also both music addicts. We recently joined Maria Haskins as bloggers on her Real Rock and Roll blog. There is also a sister-site, Soundwaves Review, where we also blog about all types of music.
INTERVIEW WITH DARCIA HELLE
Welcome to my blog, Darcie! Please introduce yourself.
I like this question, because it’s an interesting sort of challenge. What do you say when you’re asked to introduce yourself? Do you tell people the standard information, about where you live, whether you’re married, etc.? Do you state only whatever details pertain to the people you’re talking to, which, in this case, would be about my writing and books? So many things make up the people we are, and those details are not necessarily anything to do with where we live or what we do for a living. Sometimes the things we say about ourselves—or don’t say about ourselves—are much larger clues to our personalities than we realize. The fact that I have spent an entire paragraph examining a simple question probably tells you more about me than anything else I’m about to share, but here goes.
Hi! My name is Darcia, pronounced dar-see-ah. In high school I was called Darce by my friends, and now I’m mostly called Darcie. (Also spelled Darci, occasionally Darcy. Weirdly, I’m not all that attached to the spelling of my nickname.) I’m married, have two grown sons, two grandchildren, three dogs, one cat, and a partridge in a pear tree.
Hahaha!
I’m an introvert, I don’t particularly like small talk, and I’m uncomfortable talking about myself, and so this whole introduction thing is awkward. If we were at a social event, I would immediately turn it around to you, and ask you about yourself. Most people willingly and readily oblige. But since I’m just sitting here with my laptop, effectively talking to myself at this point, that option is off the table. So I will tell you this: I’m the woman with the distant smile at the back of the room, quietly watching everyone interact while contemplating which of you is the psychopathic killer.
Hahaha! So that's where all your dark fiction comes from!
Why should people buy your books?
People should buy my books because each purchase sets off a chain reaction of happiness. You press ‘Buy Now’ on Amazon, and an invisible current travels through cyberspace, causing the largest butterfly to soar effortlessly through the air, which causes a child to giggle and clap with glee, which a puppy responds to with playful barks while dancing around the child, which causes the parents to openly laugh, which sends positive vibrations through the air, which eventually come back to you, at which time you’ll suddenly smile for no apparent reason.
I think people should try that! :) Here's the Amazon link: http://www.amazon.com/-/e/B002LTMF7O/
Are there any characters in your books that are based on real people?
Only one of my books contains characters based on real people, and that is The Cutting Edge.
The main character, Skye, works in a hair salon. All of the characters within that salon, as well as most of the incidents and many of the conversations, are blatant rip-offs of real people who were clients in my mother’s salon, where I worked for 15 years. On an interesting note, this is also the only book I’ve written in which a few readers have accused me of inventing unbelievable characters, because of how outrageously they behave. Funny, because I could not have made up most of this stuff if I’d wanted to, proving reality is indeed stranger than fiction.
LOL It definitely is! I've also noticed that whenever I put something in one of my novels that is based on a real event, I get similar comments from readers, "That would never happen", etc. :)
Do you do your own editing or use a professional? Anyone you’d recommend?
I have a fabulous editor! When I first started out in the independent writing world, I didn’t know anyone and therefore did my own editing. The process typically entailed about 5,000 read-throughs, a whole lot of storming around the house, rubbing my burning eyes, cursing myself for missing the ‘form’ instead of ‘from’ on page 12 with the first 4,999 reads. By the last read, I hated my story out of sheer repetition and mind-bending boredom. And still there would be typos! I learned that it is nearly impossible to self-edit, largely because we already know what the words are supposed to be, and therefore that is what our minds put in front of us.
So true!
I was incredibly fortunate to ‘meet’ Bob Helle on Facebook several years ago. Despite the unique last name, he and I are not related. My husband was tracing his family tree, and at the time was adding a lot of Helles on his Facebook page. Many then connected with me, as well. Bob was one of those people. My husband could find no trace of a family tie to Bob, so we don’t believe they are related at all. But Bob and I quickly found we have much in common and we became almost instant friends. He has a journalism and editing background, and I became his first indie author client. Bob has saved my sanity, as I no longer have to read my own writing to the point of wanting to rip out my eyes. He’s smart, detail-oriented, and super easy to work with. And he makes me look like a much better writer!
If you’re a writer in need of an editor, I highly recommend Bob (Robert) Helle. His e-mail: Robert-at-quietfurybooks.com
Bob is a brilliant editor. I used his services for my most recent novel because I was so impressed by the way he edits the stories for us in the Mind's Eye series :)
What genre do you write in?
I write mostly suspense, because I am fascinated by the dark side of the human mind. Psychological and sociological factors contribute in varying degrees to the people we become. As I research these issues, I find myself questioning free will more and more. How much of who we are is indeed of our own making, and how much is brain chemistry and/or a product of our environment? I was born in a New England college town to a nurturing mother and a father who abandoned us early on because he didn’t like responsibility. Those factors contribute to who I am. Would I be the same person, had I been born to those same parents in a small town in the deep south? And how different would I be if my biological father had chosen to stay and inflict us with his misery? I chase these answers in my writing.
Apart from writing, what are your favourite pastimes?
I like pina coladas, and getting caught in the rain…
No, wait, that’s Jimmy Buffett. My pastimes are limited these days, due to my uncooperative body. So I don’t do any mountain climbing. Not that I would, anyway. I prefer mountain driving.
I’ll state the obvious for a writer, and tell you I read. A lot. Somewhere in excess of 100 books per year. I also listen to and write about a wide variety of music. Music has great healing power, which is especially important to me given the somewhat severe health challenges I deal with. You can find all my music ramblings on two blogs, along with my fellow music addicts Maria Savva and Maria Haskins. Those blogs are:
Soundwaves Review: http://www.soundwavesreview.com
Real Rock And Roll: http://www.realrockandroll.wordpress.com
What advice would you give your 16-year-old self?
I would tell that introverted teenager who thinks too much:
Worry less, because those people you’re forced to interact with every day won’t matter at all in a few years, nor will their opinions.
Don’t be in such a hurry to fly on your own. Being an adult is hard, and you can never go back to those days when responsibility was mostly just a word.
Good advice.
What was the last book you read? Was it any good?
As I type this, the last book I finished reading was Collecting the Dead by Spencer Kope. The story is mystery/suspense/crime fiction with a paranormal slant. I loved everything about this book.
What are you currently reading?
At this time, I am about halfway through reading an advance copy of The Ballroom by Anna Hope. This is historical fiction, and exceptionally well written. I’m thoroughly enjoying the story.
Do you have a pet?
I have four: three dogs and one cat. But they’re far more family members than pets. Oliver is a mix of something that might be Chihuahua and Italian Greyhound. (A designer mix called Italian Greyhuahua).
Sammy’s a mixed breed of completely unknown origins.
Isabel is most likely Chihuahua and Chinese Crested. (Also a designer mix, called ChiChi.)
And Abbie is a cat with questionable history. Her brother was an orange short-hair. She’s tan, gray, and black with medium-length fur.
All of them are rescues, which I wholeheartedly advocate as a first option.
They are all so cute!
Maria, thank you for allowing me to hang out on your blog!
Thank you for being a great guest! It's been fun!
Readers, thank you for reading my nonsense!
**********************************
Author links:
Website: http://www.quietfurybooks.com
Book Blog: http://www.quietfurybooks.com/blog
Facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/quietfurybooks
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/darciahelle
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/DarciaHelle
Pinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/darciahelle
Darcia has also contributed stories to all of the Mind's Eye series of books: http://quietfurybooks.com/mindseyeser...
She is a talented and prolific writer who is able to create true to life characters. Her stories are always unputdownable; full of humour, suspense, and insightful observations about life and human nature. Darcia's written many novels and short stories. I'm a big fan of her writing.
We've become good friends as we have a lot in common; as well as both being writers and avid readers, we're also both music addicts. We recently joined Maria Haskins as bloggers on her Real Rock and Roll blog. There is also a sister-site, Soundwaves Review, where we also blog about all types of music.
INTERVIEW WITH DARCIA HELLE
Welcome to my blog, Darcie! Please introduce yourself.
I like this question, because it’s an interesting sort of challenge. What do you say when you’re asked to introduce yourself? Do you tell people the standard information, about where you live, whether you’re married, etc.? Do you state only whatever details pertain to the people you’re talking to, which, in this case, would be about my writing and books? So many things make up the people we are, and those details are not necessarily anything to do with where we live or what we do for a living. Sometimes the things we say about ourselves—or don’t say about ourselves—are much larger clues to our personalities than we realize. The fact that I have spent an entire paragraph examining a simple question probably tells you more about me than anything else I’m about to share, but here goes.
Hi! My name is Darcia, pronounced dar-see-ah. In high school I was called Darce by my friends, and now I’m mostly called Darcie. (Also spelled Darci, occasionally Darcy. Weirdly, I’m not all that attached to the spelling of my nickname.) I’m married, have two grown sons, two grandchildren, three dogs, one cat, and a partridge in a pear tree.
Hahaha!
I’m an introvert, I don’t particularly like small talk, and I’m uncomfortable talking about myself, and so this whole introduction thing is awkward. If we were at a social event, I would immediately turn it around to you, and ask you about yourself. Most people willingly and readily oblige. But since I’m just sitting here with my laptop, effectively talking to myself at this point, that option is off the table. So I will tell you this: I’m the woman with the distant smile at the back of the room, quietly watching everyone interact while contemplating which of you is the psychopathic killer.
Hahaha! So that's where all your dark fiction comes from!
Why should people buy your books?
People should buy my books because each purchase sets off a chain reaction of happiness. You press ‘Buy Now’ on Amazon, and an invisible current travels through cyberspace, causing the largest butterfly to soar effortlessly through the air, which causes a child to giggle and clap with glee, which a puppy responds to with playful barks while dancing around the child, which causes the parents to openly laugh, which sends positive vibrations through the air, which eventually come back to you, at which time you’ll suddenly smile for no apparent reason.
I think people should try that! :) Here's the Amazon link: http://www.amazon.com/-/e/B002LTMF7O/
Are there any characters in your books that are based on real people?
Only one of my books contains characters based on real people, and that is The Cutting Edge.
The main character, Skye, works in a hair salon. All of the characters within that salon, as well as most of the incidents and many of the conversations, are blatant rip-offs of real people who were clients in my mother’s salon, where I worked for 15 years. On an interesting note, this is also the only book I’ve written in which a few readers have accused me of inventing unbelievable characters, because of how outrageously they behave. Funny, because I could not have made up most of this stuff if I’d wanted to, proving reality is indeed stranger than fiction.
LOL It definitely is! I've also noticed that whenever I put something in one of my novels that is based on a real event, I get similar comments from readers, "That would never happen", etc. :)
Do you do your own editing or use a professional? Anyone you’d recommend?
I have a fabulous editor! When I first started out in the independent writing world, I didn’t know anyone and therefore did my own editing. The process typically entailed about 5,000 read-throughs, a whole lot of storming around the house, rubbing my burning eyes, cursing myself for missing the ‘form’ instead of ‘from’ on page 12 with the first 4,999 reads. By the last read, I hated my story out of sheer repetition and mind-bending boredom. And still there would be typos! I learned that it is nearly impossible to self-edit, largely because we already know what the words are supposed to be, and therefore that is what our minds put in front of us.
So true!
I was incredibly fortunate to ‘meet’ Bob Helle on Facebook several years ago. Despite the unique last name, he and I are not related. My husband was tracing his family tree, and at the time was adding a lot of Helles on his Facebook page. Many then connected with me, as well. Bob was one of those people. My husband could find no trace of a family tie to Bob, so we don’t believe they are related at all. But Bob and I quickly found we have much in common and we became almost instant friends. He has a journalism and editing background, and I became his first indie author client. Bob has saved my sanity, as I no longer have to read my own writing to the point of wanting to rip out my eyes. He’s smart, detail-oriented, and super easy to work with. And he makes me look like a much better writer!
If you’re a writer in need of an editor, I highly recommend Bob (Robert) Helle. His e-mail: Robert-at-quietfurybooks.com
Bob is a brilliant editor. I used his services for my most recent novel because I was so impressed by the way he edits the stories for us in the Mind's Eye series :)
What genre do you write in?
I write mostly suspense, because I am fascinated by the dark side of the human mind. Psychological and sociological factors contribute in varying degrees to the people we become. As I research these issues, I find myself questioning free will more and more. How much of who we are is indeed of our own making, and how much is brain chemistry and/or a product of our environment? I was born in a New England college town to a nurturing mother and a father who abandoned us early on because he didn’t like responsibility. Those factors contribute to who I am. Would I be the same person, had I been born to those same parents in a small town in the deep south? And how different would I be if my biological father had chosen to stay and inflict us with his misery? I chase these answers in my writing.
Apart from writing, what are your favourite pastimes?
I like pina coladas, and getting caught in the rain…
No, wait, that’s Jimmy Buffett. My pastimes are limited these days, due to my uncooperative body. So I don’t do any mountain climbing. Not that I would, anyway. I prefer mountain driving.
I’ll state the obvious for a writer, and tell you I read. A lot. Somewhere in excess of 100 books per year. I also listen to and write about a wide variety of music. Music has great healing power, which is especially important to me given the somewhat severe health challenges I deal with. You can find all my music ramblings on two blogs, along with my fellow music addicts Maria Savva and Maria Haskins. Those blogs are:
Soundwaves Review: http://www.soundwavesreview.com
Real Rock And Roll: http://www.realrockandroll.wordpress.com
What advice would you give your 16-year-old self?
I would tell that introverted teenager who thinks too much:
Worry less, because those people you’re forced to interact with every day won’t matter at all in a few years, nor will their opinions.
Don’t be in such a hurry to fly on your own. Being an adult is hard, and you can never go back to those days when responsibility was mostly just a word.
Good advice.
What was the last book you read? Was it any good?
As I type this, the last book I finished reading was Collecting the Dead by Spencer Kope. The story is mystery/suspense/crime fiction with a paranormal slant. I loved everything about this book.
What are you currently reading?
At this time, I am about halfway through reading an advance copy of The Ballroom by Anna Hope. This is historical fiction, and exceptionally well written. I’m thoroughly enjoying the story.
Do you have a pet?
I have four: three dogs and one cat. But they’re far more family members than pets. Oliver is a mix of something that might be Chihuahua and Italian Greyhound. (A designer mix called Italian Greyhuahua).
Sammy’s a mixed breed of completely unknown origins.
Isabel is most likely Chihuahua and Chinese Crested. (Also a designer mix, called ChiChi.)
And Abbie is a cat with questionable history. Her brother was an orange short-hair. She’s tan, gray, and black with medium-length fur.
All of them are rescues, which I wholeheartedly advocate as a first option.
They are all so cute!
Maria, thank you for allowing me to hang out on your blog!
Thank you for being a great guest! It's been fun!
Readers, thank you for reading my nonsense!
**********************************
Author links:
Website: http://www.quietfurybooks.com
Book Blog: http://www.quietfurybooks.com/blog
Facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/quietfurybooks
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/darciahelle
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/DarciaHelle
Pinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/darciahelle
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message 1:
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Darcia
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Jul 07, 2016 05:22AM
Thank you for putting up with my weirdness, Maria. :)
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Loved this interview! Love your "weirdness" Darcia!
Darcia wrote: "Thank you for putting up with my weirdness, Maria. :)"LOL, I enjoyed reading your replies :)
Angela wrote: "Loved this interview! Love your "weirdness" Darcia!"Thanks for reading, Angela x
Angela wrote: "Loved this interview! Love your "weirdness" Darcia!"Thank you, Angela! :)
LOLOLOL! Thanks for the laughs, Darcia, and the thoughts that made me grin even as they moved me into a state of reflection. :-)
Doreen wrote: "LOLOLOL! Thanks for the laughs, Darcia, and the thoughts that made me grin even as they moved me into a state of reflection. :-)"Glad you enjoyed the interview, Dody! :)
Doreen wrote: "LOLOLOL! Thanks for the laughs, Darcia, and the thoughts that made me grin even as they moved me into a state of reflection. :-)"Thanks for stopping by and reading, Doreen. I'm glad I could provide a little comic relief in your day. :)
EXCELLENT interview, ladies!I'm so glad I met you both on Bestseller Bound! Much has changed since then but I'm pleased we've stayed in touch over social media.
What's your partridge's name, Darce?
LOL on the reasons people should buy your books.
I've also noticed that whenever I put something in one of my novels that is based on a real event, I get similar comments from readers, "That would never happen", etc.
THIS! Me, too.
I find myself questioning free will more and more. How much of who we are is indeed of our own making, and how much is brain chemistry and/or a product of our environment?
Interesting. I love how you explore deep questions in your books.
Jennifer wrote: "EXCELLENT interview, ladies!I'm so glad I met you both on Bestseller Bound! Much has changed since then but I'm pleased we've stayed in touch over social media.
What's your partridge's name, Dar..."
Me too, Jen! I think we met some of the nicest writers at BestsellerBound, didn't we? :) It's great that so many of us still keep in touch on social media. We still need to have that BsB party that we planned one day LOL :)
Thanks for your comments. I'm glad you enjoyed the interview x
Jennifer wrote: "EXCELLENT interview, ladies!I'm so glad I met you both on Bestseller Bound! Much has changed since then but I'm pleased we've stayed in touch over social media.
What's your partridge's name, Dar..."
I sometimes miss the BSB days, when we somehow had time to hang out, chat, be silly, and learn from one another. I am fortunate to have made some wonderful friends there!
My Partridge's name is Keith, *C'mon get happy!* Oh, my, I'm old! Ha!
Exploring those deep questions is one of the things I love so much about your books, as well, Jen. I think we can learn as much, if not more, from fiction as we do from nonfiction.
Now I need to go get David Cassidy's voice out of my head... :)
